Structures such as hunting blinds can be placed in or near the natural habitat of wild game for protecting a hunter from weather elements and/or for camouflaging the hunter from potential game.
Hunting blinds typically have one or more openings for ingress and egress and/or to provide a space for a weapon or projectile to be discharged through. However, the opening(s) may also provide for various scents from within the hunting blind to be transmitted to the surrounding environment, which may be detected by the potential game and thus put the game on alert and/or scare away the game.
Some structures include curtains to at least partially cover the one or more openings. However, such curtains are typically made from a porous material that allows for transmission of scents from within the structure into the surrounding environment, which may be detected by the potential game and thus put the game on alert and/or scare the game away. Some curtains are attached to the structure with various fasteners, such as zippers or hook and loop fasteners. During use, the curtain must be moved or removed from the opening before a weapon can be discharged through the opening, which may cause noise when opening the zipper or separating the hook and loop fastener, for example. The noises can be detected by potential game, which may put the game on alert and/or scare the game away before the weapon can be discharged.
Products such as scent-free soaps, toothpastes and gear including scent inhibiting clothing, boots, gloves and face masks can be used for reducing or inhibiting the transmission of scents into the surrounding environment, however, such products are known to be costly and burdensome to use.
Other products, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,493,910 and 7,040,335 appear to propose a window cover for covering openings in a hunting blind, the teachings of which are incorporated by reference. However, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,493,910 and 7,040,335 appear to teach a continuous and air-tight seal formed between the window cover and the wall of the hunting blind, which thus appears to prevent fresh air intake into the hunting blind. On warmer days, by limiting or preventing fresh air intake into the hunting blind, hunter perspiration within the hunting blind may result in condensation build up on the window cover, which may thereby decrease visibility through the window cover. In contrast, on colder days, by reducing or preventing fresh air intake into the hunting blind, when hunter body heat exceeds the interior temperature of the hunting blind, condensation may build up on the window cover thereby decreasing visibility through the window cover. Moreover, pollen, dirt molecules, stale air etc., can collect within an air-tight hunting blind. Having a reduced, limited, or non-existent fresh air intake into the hunting blind may also cause respiratory issues leading to sinus blockage, coughing, and/or sneezing, which may be detected by the potential game and thus put the game on alert and/or scare away the game.
There is therefore a need to overcome at least these shortcomings. For example, it may be desirable to have a device for a structure that reduces or eliminates the transmission scent out of the structure, while allowing fresh air intake into the structure. It may be desirable to have a device that can be quickly and easily attached to a hunting blind to cover an opening, quickly and easily detached or separated from the hunting blind to expose the opening, and then quickly and easily attached again to the hunting blind to cover the opening. It may be desirable to have a device that can be attached to a structure, be readily penetrable by a projectile such as a bullet or an arrow, and reduce or limit scent transmission out of the hunting blind, while also allowing fresh air intake into the hunting blind.